


Needed Me

by sesshyssoulmate



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi (2017)
Genre: Anal Sex, BDSM, Biting, Come Swallowing, Controlling Kylo, Cunnilingus, Dom!Kylo, Dominant Kylo Ren, F/M, Fingering, Force-Sensitive OC, Force-Sensitive Reader, Forward Hux, I made an OC cause I like writing in 3rd person, Jealous Kylo Ren, Jealousy, Kylo is a man child, Kylo trains OC, Lightsaber Battles, Manipulative Kylo, Matt in Filler, Matt the radar technician - Freeform, May eventually turn into noncon?? will tag it appropriately if so, My First Work in This Fandom, Nondescript OC, OC is Resistance Spy, OC is a badass, Oral Sex, Orgasm Delay/Denial, Orgasm Denial, PIV, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Kylo Ren, Reader-Insert, Rough Oral Sex, Rough Sex, Sex Toys, Slow Burn, Spanking, Supreme Leader Kylo Ren, THERE IS A PLOT THOUGH, Vaginal Sex, WIP, Well slow burn-ish, Work In Progress, dubcon, possible DP, so 3rd person Reader-Insert, some dubcon, submissive OC, why not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-14
Updated: 2018-04-19
Packaged: 2019-03-18 02:06:31
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13672020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sesshyssoulmate/pseuds/sesshyssoulmate
Summary: SET POST-TLJ-------------Sent as a spy for the Resistance, Aria Lee learns much more about the First Order than she would like to know.Will she be consumed by darkness, or follow the light?UPDATE 4/19: Chapter 5 is currently an update on the current status of the actual chapter. New chapter will come soon--life happens.





	1. Mercy

**Author's Note:**

> Hello all! Thanks for giving me a read, especially with my awful summary lmao.This is my first Star Wars fanfic and I'm so excited to finally share it with the internet. I've been mulling over this idea for about three weeks now and just put the pen to paper. Feel free to self-insert; my OC will not have any descriptors. I just prefer writing in third person.
> 
> Thanks to my husband for beta-ing my first chapter. Unless stated otherwise, there will usually be no beta reader for the chapter! 
> 
> Hope you enjoy!

“Where is it, Resistance scum?” The trooper asked her again, his voice filtered through his silver plated helmet. His name was Captain Cyrus; he’d taken over Phasma’s job considering she had plunged to her demise on the _Supremacy._ He’d taken over the role of torturer when she proved resistant to the normal tactics of lowly Stormtroopers. Cyrus was cruel, employing more refined techniques than just punches and kicks in order to get her to talk. Her skin held testament to that, burns marred onto her arms from his stunner.

Aria wouldn’t let him break her, however. She’d known the risks when taking this mission and had prepared herself for the possibility that she would get caught and killed. She would rather die than talk. She wouldn’t give up any information about the Resistance.

Not that she knew much anymore, not since she’d been assigned this task. They had taken precautions before sending her out on this wild mission with more possibility of failure than success; they had been desperate for information on the First Order and so the Resistance had decided the risk was worth it and sent her anyways. That’s how she’d found herself in this compromising position.

Closing her eyes, Aria bit her lip, trying to still her panting as Captain Cyrus stared at her through that helmet of his. She had no plans to respond to him, attempting to block him out entirely and forget her pain as she forced her mind to think all the way to the beginning, to when she’d first been assigned this crazy task.

“You...you want me to attempt to pose as a First Order officer on the _Finalizer_ ?” The disbelief had been clear in her voice as she stared into General Organa’s sorrowful and apologetic eyes. Aria was not unused to working as a spy but never had she been assigned something this risky and high-profile. Sure, she’d posed as a Stormtrooper and a First Order officer before, but that had been on small cruisers with a staff of no more than fifty to a hundred people. Normally she was in and out, too, having a specific objective...but this? She was to simply weasel her way onto the _Finalizer_ and pose as a new First Order Officer for as long as possible in an attempt to gain any information on the evil organization’s plans.

It was an enormous honor that she’d been chosen for a high-risk mission such as this, though she wasn’t surprised she’d been picked. Aria had great faith in her skills and abilities. She had joined the Resistance when she was just a young girl of thirteen, and eager to join the fight she had started training as a soldier when she was sixteen. Once she’d hit her twenties she’d applied for the Resistance spy program and hadn’t looked back. The world of reconnaissance was thrilling in different ways than being blasted at on a battlefield.

Her memories swirled to her deployment. Still recovering from the disaster on Crait, the Resistance was rebuilding and searching for a headquarters. For now they were just a mass of ships floating through the systems in the Outer Rim, hiding out from the First Order as they licked at their wounds. Aria didn’t know what system they were floating through, only that this was her stop; this was the precaution they had taken. Once she’d been assigned the mission all Resistance plans had been kept secret from her. With the high-risk of failure of her mission the Resistance leaders knew she’d be interrogated if caught. They didn’t want to risk Aria opening her mouth; despite her promises not to spill if she was discovered they simply couldn’t take her word for it. The First Order was known for their cruelty after all.

Captain Cyrus didn’t know that Aria had no real useful information for him, but she wasn’t going to reveal that so soon. Better for him to think she knew something and endure the torture. It would keep her alive for now, and perhaps long enough for her to figure out how she was going to get out of this mess...or if she even could. Besides, would he really believe her if she confessed to knowing nothing?

Another sharp sting to her forearm and Aria cried out in pain, biting her tongue to stop the curse words that threatened to slip past her lips. Despite the jolt to her skin she kept her silence, breathing heavily as sweat beaded on her forehead. “Answer me, prisoner. Where is the Resistance base?” His voice was harsh and annoyed as he demanded her to speak.

Aria let her thoughts wander again to her deployment day as she kept her silence. She had been waiting for the okay from the captain to step into her escape pod and take off. It had been quiet in the escape bay, late in the night cycle, so she was utterly alone. She hadn’t expected anyone to come see her off, so she was surprised when she heard familiar voices echoing down the hall.

“Aria?” Rose’s voice had whispered out from around the corner of the dimly lit hall. She appeared in view, along with Finn, Poe, BB-8, and Rey. “You didn’t think we’d come to say goodbye?” The surprise must have been apparent on her face, judging by the frown now plastered across Rose’s lips.

“It’s late. I thought you would all be asleep by now,” She explained lamely, standing from her seat to greet them all. A glance at their faces told her they were anxious for her and her mission. Aria had come to know Rose when she’d first been assigned to the flagship of the Resistance, working alongside the woman down in the escape bay and hangar bay. Getting to know Rose also meant getting to know her friends, too, but Aria would have never fathomed that Rose’s friends were big time Resistance heros.

Rose was the first to throw her arms around her, pulling her into a tight hug, “Don’t be stupid. We couldn’t sleep. How could we?”

“Well, it's not as if you’re the ones attempting to sneak aboard a First Order ship, so I would think pretty well,” Aria’s joke fell flat, all of them still adorning strained expressions.

“Are you sure you want to do this? It's dangerous,” Finn had made his disapproval known many times before, not in agreement with General Organa, “If you get caught…” His voice trailed off, his jaw clenching. He knew the First Order better than any of them, knew what sort of torture Aria would endure.

“I know, Finn. Someone has to do this,” They’d had this conversation many times before. If General Organa thought it was worth the risk then it was worth it; she had utmost faith in Leia.

“At least take this,” Poe was trying to hand her a tracking device again, “If things go wrong you can ping us and we can--”

“You can what? Take on the whole of the First Order to rescue me? Come on, we’ve been over this,” Aria crossed her arms over her chest with a sigh.

“We’ve done it before,” Finn argued weakly.

“Don’t bring up Starkiller again. From what you’ve told me that wasn’t exactly a walk in the park either, and besides that was before the First Order obliterated our fleet,” She was flattered by their concern, but this situation was out of their control.

Poe and Finn shot each other a sour look before the latter spoke up, “What if we never see you again?”

Aria didn’t have a chance to respond, BB-8 whistling and chirping around their ankles in response to Finn’s question. The droid’s stunner extended and he shocked the former ‘Trooper on the leg, “Hey! Stop it!” Finn cried out, jumping out of BB-8’s range.

“We’ll see Aria again,” Rey finally spoke up, her voice steady yet full of conviction, “Trust me,” She added, glancing to each of them in turn. Ah Rey, the Resistance’s resident Jedi; she made it known when her Force senses were tingling. Was that even how the Force worked? Aria didn’t know, but she had respect for its power like everyone else here did.

That was enough to shut Finn and Poe up, resigning their arguments, albeit begrudgingly, and allowing Aria to say her goodbyes to everyone. She hugged them all, and soon enough the captain was pinging her transmitter to let her know she had five minutes before drop off. That seemed to be clue enough for the others to clear out, saying their final farewells before turning and heading to the door.

Yet one person lingered--Rey.

Rey grabbed onto Aria’s shoulder before turning to go, staring her down with those chocolate colored doe-eyes of hers. Voice low, she murmured, “I have a bad feeling about this,” She squeezed Aria’s shoulder lightly, “I know you’re capable, but promise me that you’ll watch out for yourself.”

“I know,” The mission didn’t give her good vibes either, “I’ll watch my back,” Aria promised.

Rey smiled with relief, “We _will_ meet again. I really believe that,”

“The Force?”

“The Force,” Rey nodded, squeezing Aria’s shoulder one last time. She paused briefly, and then added sincerely, “May the Force be with you.”

“Agh!” She was brought back to reality as Captain Cyrus hit her with his stunner again, the images of her memories swirling away with the electric shock to her shoulder. He must have turned up the level of shock on the stunner; her skin felt more singed than before, the pain lingering.

“Where is the Resistance base!” He was yelling now, and even through his voice modulator Aria could hear the patience wearing thin in his tone.

“A-are you telling me the First Order couldn’t figure it out from my transmissions?” Finally, she spoke up. For someone strapped down to a First Order interrogation table she sure had a hell of a lot of gumption.

Those transmissions were the whole reason she’d been caught in the first place. Aria knew that the First Order wouldn’t be able to determine the Resistance’s position based off of her transmissions; she and General Organa had planned everything in advance and taken every precaution. All of her messages were uploaded to an old abandoned Rebel base on Dantooine, and from there the Resistance handled the rest of it. Aria assumed that the Resistance flagship received the messages directly as soon as they hit Dantooine; some sort of untraceable comm link, she surmised.

Her snarky question earned her the most painful shock yet. The Captain held the stunner to her skin till she was whimpering and tears eked from her eyes. “We have ways of making you talk. Don’t underestimate the First Order.” He threatened with a low voice, pressing the button of his stunner in warning, the electricity crackling between its silver prongs.

Sweat trickled down her brow and her breathing was still heavy, but his comment almost made her laugh. She’d been aboard the _Finalizer_ a week before being caught; honestly, she was surprised she’d made that far. Her bet had been two or three days before they realized she wasn’t First Order.

Before Cyrus could hit her with his stunner again the doors to the interrogation room swooshed open and Aria heard a pair of boots pounding their way into the room. Captain Cyrus stood at attention and turned to greet the newcomer. “General Hux,” His hand went up in a brief salute.

 _General Hux._ Aria knew who that was, a chill running up her spine at his name. Not that she was afraid of a limp noodle ginger-boy like him, she tried to convince herself.

“At ease, Captain,” The man appeared in Aria’s line of vision, standing before the Trooper captain, resplendent in his large dark coat. He ignored her presence all together, his eyes trained onto Cyrus. “I grow impatient, Captain. Where is the Resistance base?”

“She continues to be stubborn, sir. She is impervious to our techniques,” Captain Cyrus reported, none too happily either based on the curt way he spoke.

A frown adorned the General’s tight lips, “So far,” He finally spared a glance for Aria, his blue eyes chill like a glacier.

“Sir?”

“She has been impervious to the interrogation tactics so far,” Hux flicked his gaze back to the Captain, “Send a message to the Supreme Leader,” There was a hint of disgust in his voice as he uttered the last two words, “And send in an interrogation droid; an IT-O model will do,” His frown turned into a horrifying smirk that made Aria’s stomach turn, “Tell the Supreme Leader I will have the location of the Resistance base when he arrives.”

“Yes, sir,” Cyrus saluted the General one last time before leaving the room and barking orders at the Stormtroopers that had been guarding the door.

Aria’s mind was racing as General Hux turned to give her his full attention, his hands behind his back and a smug expression pasted on his pale face. Supreme Leader? It couldn’t be Snoke; Rey had told her that he’d been killed by Kylo Ren on the _Supremacy._ That meant…

“Foolish girl, I have grown weary of you. You **_will_ ** tell me the location of the Resistance base, intentionally or not,” Hux declared darkly, menace dancing in the whites of his wintry eyes, “Your obstinance is nothing compared to the power of the First Order,” Behind him an IT-O droid floated into view, a sleek black orb with multiple extensions hidden beneath it’s carapace. An arm with a needle extended, waiting to prick her at General Hux’s command.

Aria said nothing at first, staring back at him with impassivity; at least that’s how she hoped her expression looked. It wouldn’t do to show any weakness, especially in the face of General Hux. They were underestimating her loyalty to her friends and her willpower in the face of torture. She had been trained for situations such as this...but she would be lying if she said the sight of the droid didn’t make her feel even the slightest bit anxious. Finally, she loosed that fiery tongue of hers, “If you say so, General,” She mocked and then--

Stars.

His hand had moved so quickly that she hadn’t even had a chance to flinch as he backhanded her across the cheek. Was that blood she tasted at the corner of her mouth? She couldn’t be sure, as she still reeled from his slap.

“You won’t be cheeky for long,” Her vision came back into focus as he spoke, and she was able to see that a dangerous smirk was once again playing at his expression. Another chill set into her body, now bone deep as the General turned to the droid. “Commence with the injection.”

Clenching her jaw, Aria willed to herself _‘I will not show fear. I will not bow,’_ as the droid floated closer to her, the shine of the needle flickering against the light. Closer and closer it came, and just before it pricked her Rey’s words echoed in her head, ‘ _May the Force be with you.’_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for giving me a read! Next chapter to come in a week or two. Come hit me up on my tumblr at daddykylosgoodgirl.tumblr.com if you'd like.
> 
> -Sessh


	2. Supremacy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s there. I see it. Give it to me."

Her memories of her encounter with General Hux and the IT-O droid were like a fever dream. The images that floated around in her head were distorted, the colors bleeding together as she fuzzily recalled what General Hux had done to her in the two hours he’d interrogated her with the droid, his ever faithful inflictor of pain. There were some parts of her memory that were completely black, but she could still hear his voice through the darkness, asking her, “Where is it?” His annoyance grew each time she heard him ask any variation of the question till eventually he was snarling, “Where IS IT?! ...you don’t learn, do you?” 

An image of him leaning close to her ear flashed before her, and she felt his whispering itching at the back of her mind. The itch bubbled and brewed, evolving into a searing hot white pain that pierced her entire skull and suddenly she could hear her own pleas for mercy as the intensity of her suffering increased--

She awoke with a start, gasping for air like a drowning man. Aria couldn’t remember when she’d fallen unconscious, her thoughts still preoccupied with piecing together what Hux had done to her. The least she could surmise was that the droid had given her a hallucinatory drug that made her susceptible to persuasion, giving Hux the ability to make her believe she was in deep pain without even touching her. Yet that was all she could surmise, her memories still muddy and unfocused. 

Her head throbbed, and her body ached from the interrogation and from lying in the same position for so long, still strapped to the near vertical table. The fact that she was still alive hopefully meant that she hadn’t cracked under the pressure; she couldn’t remember if between her screams and pleas she’d revealed the truth of her ignorance. Perhaps she had told him the truth, that she knew nothing, and that’s why he’d grown so weary of her, assuming she was lying. 

“You’re awake.”

Jolting in surprise against her restraints, the unfamiliar voice forcibly pulled her out of her reverie. She thought she had been alone, and with her splitting headache she  had kept her eyes closed upon waking. No longer, as she forced them open, blinking blearily. The room spun into focus, the fog lifting from her clouded vision as she squinted at the offensive lights that shone above her. 

He sat in front of her, his elbows leaning against his knees and his hands clasped in front of him. Obsidian locks framed an oval face with an aquiline nose, full lips, and deep-set eyes. A thin scar marred the right side of his face, slashing across his jaw and through one of his thick, dark brows. His coffee-colored eyes were trained on her, his expression unreadable. 

When her gaze had landed on his thin scar, terror lanced through her heart; she knew who he was. Though she had never seen him without his mask, she recognized him as Kylo Ren. Rey had told her how he’d earned that scar. Aria schooled her expression; if she thought looking weak in front of Hux was bad, then looking weak in front of Ren was doubly so. 

“General Hux is very upset with you. You’ve made him a liar,” He spoke in a deceivingly low and calm tone. 

Aria took a moment to answer, still taking in his facial features. She had wondered for so long what had lain beneath his mask that it felt surreal to finally see what he looked like. Why was he without it though? Just to be cheeky, she questioned, “...who are you?”

It was brief, but there was a twitch at his brow. She’d gotten to him, but he didn’t release his temper just yet, “You act as if you don’t know. I am Supreme Leader Ren,” He answered cooly, yet contempt flashed across his expression. 

“Oh,” Aria had the bad habit of poking the fire, continuing her infuriating charade of nonchalance, “I didn’t recognize you, you know, without the mask and all.”

He scoffed, “You are as annoying as Hux described,” He stood from where he sat, turning to pace the room. He moved out of sight, a fact that made Aria’s skin prickle. “It doesn’t matter. I will finish what the others couldn’t,” His voice sounded behind her. She could hear the soft thumps of his boots and the swish of his cape against the metal flooring. 

“I didn’t follow General Hux’s orders then? Apologies, Supreme Leader. I’m usually very obedient,” Aria wasn’t sure where in the hell this courage was coming from, but the words fell loftily off her tongue. 

“Oh?” He breathed, “Hux and his little droid are nowhere near as persuasive as the Force,” He stepped into her vision again, and the same intensity in his eyes as he stared her down, “I can take it from you, you know. The location of the Resistance base,” He was watching her for her reaction.

Aria remained silent, a tight knot of fear in her stomach. He continued walking, going for another pass around the restraining rig. 

“I feel it,” He murmured, behind her once more, “You put on a brave face, but I know better. You’re afraid,” Whether this fact pleased him was unclear, “You were afraid when Hux was here with the droid...but yet you resisted. Interesting.”

_ Interesting. _ That was not a word Aria wanted Kylo Ren to use when describing her. 

“I looked over your transmissions to the Resistance,” He snuck into her peripheral, and she could feel the scorch of his gaze. He planted himself in front of her, searching her expression. It felt like he could see through her, and that made her sweat. “My mother sent you, didn’t she?”

Kylo had been plying for a reaction from Aria, and he succeeded. Her lip quivered at the mention of the General.  _ ‘No. Don’t give him anything,’ _ She thought to herself. 

“Of course she did,” Kylo plowed on, though a frown graced his lips, “That means you came from the heart of the Resistance. I see why she would send you. You’re headstrong, like her,” He paused, looking down at his feet and taking a deep breath, “But you have something I want and I won’t allow you to stand in my way,” He turned his gaze back to her, looking up at her from underneath his brows menacingly. 

“I won’t betray them.” The words left her before she could stop them. Why had she said it? She was no Jedi, she couldn’t stop a Force user from using mind tricks on her. She was at a distinct disadvantage. She could feel her palms grow sweaty, her hands balled at her sides.

Ren’s lips turned upward in a smirk, “We’ll see,” and then he was moving closer to her, uncomfortably so. 

Aria recoiled as he came closer, but only managed to hit her head against the back of the table and rub at her already chafed wrists and ankles. He came close enough that she could feel his breath on her cheek and see the small gold flecks in the dark brown of his eyes. He raised his gloved hand towards her cheek, hovering his hand only centimeters over her left temple. 

Then she felt it. 

Agonizing pain in her skull, like someone was in there prodding at each lobe of her brain. He was poking around in her memories, rifling through them to find what he wanted.  _ No! _ She clenched her jaw in effort against him, a whimper escaping her lips as the torment rent her mind. 

“It’s there. I see it. Give it to me,” He coaxed her, increasing the intensity of his probing. 

Aria grunted in pain, holding in a scream that was bubbling in her chest. Her suffering was coming to a head, her eyes scrunched closed as she tried to push back. He was strong, she could tell, and just when she thought she’d break a miracle happened. It was a strange feeling; it was like an automatic response that her body had learned without her knowledge. A mental wall sprung up between them, and when she opened her eyes she was met with the dark, wide-eyed stare of Kylo Ren. 

The look on his face was one of disbelief tinged with anger. Sneering, he became more aggressive, placing his palm on her cheek and glaring at her intently. Aria could feel him buffeting at the wall between them, trying to beat it down with raw strength so he could take what he wanted from her. She barely held her own against him, weakly holding on to keeping up the barrier when suddenly a thought that wasn’t hers flashed across her mind’s eye. 

**_Rey??_ ** He was thinking of Rey, the image of her face lingering in her head. Why?

_‘May the Force be with you….’_ The words echoed over and over in Aria’s mind. 

Judged on Kylo’s widening eyes, he had heard Rey’s voice, too. He pushed against the barrier even harder.

_ ‘The Force…’ _ It clicked, and Aria exhaled in pain one last time before fully meeting his angry and saturnine stare. There; she felt it. Without warning she punched through the mental barrier and ended up on the other side in Kylo’s whirring thoughts. 

She found the answer to her question, and spoke it aloud, “I remind you of Rey,”

Kylo growled and pulled away quickly, cutting off the link between them. He was gritting his teeth together, jeering at her as he stepped away as if she’d burned him. He was silent before saying, “You know her. I saw that much,” He practically spit it. He spun away, scoffing, “If you knew her...then how?” He turned his head over his shoulder to glare at her. 

Aria didn’t understand what had happened between them, how she had been able to just  _ know  _ one of Kylo’s thoughts. Had it been...the Force? She hesitated to think it. Wouldn’t she have known before this if she was Force sensitive? His sullen stare and mysterious  _ ‘...then how?’ _ made her already racing heart beat madly against her ribcage. She said nothing, breathing heavily and staring back at him in return.

He regarded her crossly, contemplation making his brows furrow together in irritation. His hand was in a fist at his side, and when Aria looked closer she saw it was trembling with rage.  _ How could she have resisted him? _ He knew how, but couldn’t believe it himself. “ **_No,_ ** ” His voice was harsh as he said it to himself. The fire in his eyes burned even brighter. Aria couldn’t look away.

With no warning, Kylo turned on his heel, his cape billowing dramatically behind him as he stormed to the door. In a fit of rage he knocked over several tables full of torture devices, the tools falling to the floor with a loud crashing clang. She heard a metallic thump on the doorframe before it swooshed open and shut; he had punched the frame before making his exit. 

Just like that he was gone. Aria could hardly believe it. She let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. Even though she knew he wasn’t in the room she felt like she couldn’t let her guard down just yet. Closing her eyes, she relaxed her neck and rested her head against the table, focusing on gaining her breath back before trying to process all that had transpired. With each steady intake of air a massive weariness overtook her, and against her will, she felt sleep pulling her down into the abyss. 

 

****************************

 

He was there again when she woke. His face was back to its stagnant yet surly expression, the only trace of his temper in the tension of his jaw. How long had she been asleep, and how long had he been there waiting for her to wake up? The minor headache that lingered as she opened her eyes made her surmise that she couldn’t have been out for more than four hours. She met his dark eyes, but said nothing, waiting for him to speak first.

Silence ensued for a few moments before he finally stirred, shifting where he sat, “Do you understand what happened earlier?” He asked.

“...you tortured me,” Aria stated plainly.

He scowled at her, “I used the Force against you,” He corrected, “But that doesn’t answer my question.” 

“I know you used the Force on me, you were in my head rooting around and  _ torturing me _ ,” Aria retorted tartly.

He was growing frustrated with her again, “And then?” He pressed her, his gaze intensifying.

This made her pause; she had been avoiding admitting this next part, afraid of where this discussion was headed.

Her hesitation had Kylo Ren pressing her again, “Say it,” his teeth were clenched. 

“I resisted you,” Her voice came out heated, only because she knew saying it this way would annoy him even more. 

He battled a sneer at the word ‘resisted.’ “Yes,” He gritted out, “What happened next?” It was as if he were speaking to a child.

Aria resented his tone, but could see how much he hated reliving the moment, so she answered, “I saw your thoughts.”

This last statement pained him the most, a grimace on his expression before he continued, “Yes. You did,” He stood from his seat and stalked a few steps towards her. He was done questioning her, his face transformed back to its usual placid and stiff manner. “The only way it was possible for you to see inside my mind was through The Force,” He plowed on, explaining in full, “You are Force sensitive. Your powers are not strong, but they are there. You have only just begun your journey.”

The air was knocked from her lungs and her heart skipped several beats. This was what  she had been afraid of. She turned her eyes away from him, avoiding his severe stare, afraid of what she might see in it. How could she be Force-sensitive? And why did she have to find out  _ now _ when she was Kylo Ren’s prisoner? Aria kept silent, and stared at the wall, trying to keep her cool.

“She couldn’t have known,” He took another step forward, his curious gaze still burning into her, “She wouldn’t have let my mother send you if she knew,” He was so certain of this fact, and Aria realized he was talking about Rey. A chill ran through her, wondering if he had read her mind; she had been wondering how Rey had never realized she was Force-sensitive.“She is strong with the force, but still too untrained and unfocused to recognize a fellow Force user,” Kylo spoke up; he had to be reading her thoughts.

Aria was annoyed that he’d insult Rey like that but hated the idea that he might be right. Rey had hardly trained as a Jedi, whereas Kylo had years of Jedi and Sith training under his belt. 

“It doesn’t matter. You’re here now,” He took one last step towards her, just out of arms reach, and planted himself there. “I will not make the same mistake twice,” There was intention in his voice that had her eyes swiveling back to meet his, her heart pounding in her chest. 

It clicked for her as she remembered his thoughts from earlier; ‘ _I remind you of Rey,’_ she had said to him just before he’d severed their connection. “...what do you intend to do with me, then?” She turned her attention back to him, watching him with trepidation. Butterflies started flying around in her stomach as she recalled Rey’s and Finn’s stories from their fight with Ren on Starkiller base. Surely he wasn’t--

“You will become my apprentice and I will teach you the ways of the Force. You have no choice in this matter,” Ren’s eyes dared her to challenge him, folding his hands in front of him.

“...if I don’t cooperate?” Aria’s stomach was roiling.

“You will join me or die,” He stated simply, as if it were stupid she even ask. He watched her carefully, smugly even, as he waited for her to respond.

Aria stared at him and stayed silent however. The longer she could stay alive the more chance there was of getting a chance to escape this ship with as much intel as possible. She had to abandon this mission as soon as possible, and even though she didn’t know where the Resistance was she knew she could find her way back.

A smirk twitched at his lips when she didn’t have any retorts for him. “Good,” He breathed, smirk fading, “Someone will come for you later and get you situated. I will send for you when it is time to begin training,” He turned on his heel decisively and stalked out of the room, leaving Aria strapped to the interrogation rig.

“Shit,” She murmured, leaning back against the table as best she could, “How the hell am I going to get out of this now?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I got this out much faster than I thought I would. The ideas were flowing and I just had to get them down while I was inspired. 
> 
> Thanks again to my husband for beta-ing. You da real mvp.
> 
> This chapter was written while listening to Muse's song 'Supremacy', hence the name of the chapter.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoyed! Come hang with me on tumblr at daddykylosgoodgirl.tumblr.com
> 
> -Sessh


	3. Scheiße

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “You will only serve as a distraction to the Supreme Leader. Keeping you around is a mistake.”

Two Stormtroopers appeared a couple of hours later and released her from the interrogation rig. Weak from spending time strapped to the table, she had fallen to the floor limply, struggling to stand. Mercilessly they’d pulled her up by her arms, strapped cuffs to her, and forcibly pushed her out of the room. They lead her down the halls of the massive ship, giving her a shove every time she showed signs of slowing down.

‘ _T_ _ch_ _. Assholes,_ ’ She thought bitterly.

They took her to the crews quarters, leading her toward the back of the maze of hallways, then turned and took her down to the end of a deserted looking corridor. They stopped at the last door on the right. One of the Troopers reached forward to enter the code on the keypad, while the other released her from her cuffs before shoving her into the now opened room. She hit the floor with a thud, glaring up at the two Troopers.

“Don’t try anything stupid, Resistance scum,” One of them warned her, and the door slammed shut again, leaving her in darkness. Not for long, however, as she stood and grappled for the light controls by the door. They flickered on, allowing her to survey the room that she was now locked in. She hadn’t heard the Troopers boots walking away, which meant they were probably standing sentry at her door; Ren was taking all precautions to make sure she didn’t escape.

Turning around, she took in the room. It was small, containing a plain bed with black sheets and one measly white pillow. There was a wardrobe on the left side of the wall, along with a bare book shelf. A door was on the right side of the wall; the refresher, she assumed. It was similar to the room she’d been staying in prior to the First Order’s discovery that she was a spy, only much smaller and with less amenities. Another glance back towards the entryway and she saw that the comm system had been forcibly ripped out of the wall, and recently at that. Wires were sticking out of the panel at odd angles.

_‘A problem for another time,’_ Aria could care less about the comms system at the moment as she turned and headed toward the door on the right side of the room. All that was on her mind was assessing the damage they had inflicted upon her, and taking a long, hot shower. The refresher was small and simple, colored in the same shades of grey, white, and black that her room was. She beelined to the shower, pulling open the glass door and reaching in to fiddle with the water controls.

As the water warmed she undressed herself, throwing her dirty clothes haphazardly on the floor and turning to the mirror to get a good look at herself. “Sheesh…” She murmured; she was a sight for sore eyes. The burns from Captain Cyrus’s stunner had left ugly red welts in their wake. The bruises she’d earned from the Stormtroopers’ abuse were all shades of purple, green, and yellow, marring her stomach and back. Her eyes were puffy and tired, and there was a big, fat cut on her lip; was that where Hux had slapped her?

She hopped into the shower as soon as steam began to fog the mirror, forgetting all about her injuries for now as she soaked her sore muscles. “...fuck,” She sighed, leaning against the tile wall. Now that she was in the solitude of the shower she let her guard down, allowing her mind to race and process all that had transpired in the past two days or so.

Aria had expected to be caught while on her mission, she just had never fathomed that she would still be alive at this point. So, now what? She thrived on having a plan, and as of now she didn’t have one. Discovering she was Force sensitive had thrown a wrench into everything. Her heart beat rapidly with fear; she could hardly believe that it was true, that she was Force sensitive.

_‘No, don’t lose your cool. You can do this,’_ She willed to herself. She just had to sort out her priorities first, and that would be the basis of her plan.

Priority number one was staying alive at all costs. The mission parameters had changed the moment Kylo Ren had told her of her powers. She had a rare opportunity here to continue gathering intel to send back to the Resistance. How she would do that was a problem she’d have to solve later once she learned what her life would be like as Ren’s apprentice. The thought made her feel short of breath.

Ren’s apprentice; how would she manage that?

She had no real desire to grow closer to Kylo Ren, conflicted at the idea of being trained by the enemy. If he thought she would so willingly betray her friends and turn to the Dark side then he was a fool. Yet he intimidated her. If she had plans to continue spying on the First Order she knew she’d have to hide her thoughts carefully from her new ‘master’.

Aria exhaled loudly, closing her eyes and turning her face towards the hot stream of water. She would just have to take things one step at a time for now; stay alive. She would focus on that goal and formulate her plan as she went along. It wasn’t ideal, but it was out of her control.

She emerged from the shower thirty minutes later, wrapped gingerly in a towel. The hot water hadn’t been good for the burns on her arms, and they had grown sore and raw during her soak. Clutching her towel around her in one hand and her dirty clothes in another she walked into her bedroom, startling at the sight of a woman waiting for her.

“Um, sorry,” The woman’s uniform indicated she was medical staff, “I was sent to take care of you,” She explained briefly.

Aria raised a brow; this was unexpected, but not unwelcome. “Oh, I see.”

“Have a seat on the bed, I’ll wrap up those arms of yours,” The woman took charge, walking over and gently guiding Aria over to the bed to care for her.

The nurse had a bag of supplies with her, and was thorough in tending to Aria’s wounds. She applied ointments to her bruises and her burns, wrapped her arms up in gauze, and forced her to take pain relievers before standing and packing her things again. “There should be new clothes for you in your wardrobe. Take the pain relief medicine as needed,” The nurse instructed then left Aria in solitude again.

Clothes? A peek in the wardrobe revealed a sea of black fabric. ‘ _Colorful,’_ she thought, pulling open a drawer to find socks and undergarments in the same shade. At least she wouldn’t have to wear her dirty clothes; she threw them in the hamper that sat underneath the rack of clothes and set about fully exploring the contents of the wardrobe.

She dressed herself in a sleeveless t-shirt, tucking it into her pants, and then tucking her pants into a pair of military style boots. She looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the door of the wardrobe, and thought with disgust, _‘I look First Order already.’_ Her outfit combined with the white bandages on her arms was too close to symbolic for her tastes.

The door to her room flew open again, revealing the two Stormtroopers from before standing in the entryway. One carried his blaster in his hand, the other the pair of cuffs. “The Supreme Leader wants to see you,” the one with the blaster said, “Don’t make this difficult, girl.”

Aria frowned, “Are the cuffs necessary? I have no weapon, and no place to run. You two both have blasters,” Knowing she didn’t have much of a choice she stepped towards them.

“Turn around, hands behind your back,” The Trooper with cuffs ordered her.

Rolling her eyes, she did as she was told, and the Trooper yanked her none too kindly towards him as he slapped the cuffs on. “You can’t possibly be afraid of little ol’ me. I’m flattered, however, that you think I’m capable of incapacitating the both of you and taking your precious little blasters,” She quipped in an attempt to goad them. If they were going to be annoying then so was she.

Her goading worked too well, the butt of the Trooper’s blaster making contact with the back of her head, “I told you not to make this difficult. Walk,” He ordered her as she reeled from the blow to her skull.

Aria was silent as they lead her towards the bridge, an area she had actively avoided before being caught. Being a spy meant learning to be inconspicuous and hanging out where the higher-ups did their work wasn’t exactly sneaky. The closer they got to the bridge the more foot traffic they saw; Stormtroopers walking in platoons to the training rooms, radar technicians bustling off to their next job, BB-9E units following the heels of their masters. No one gave her and her escorts a second glance.

“...you should be nicer to me, you know,” Aria broke her silence as they rode an elevator up to the bridge, “Aren’t you even a bit curious as to why I haven’t been exterminated yet?” Now she just wanted to fuck with them, get them back for cuffing her and hitting her. Aria hid the twitch of a smile on the corner of her lips.

“Shut up, girl,” One of them commanded in warning.

Aria didn’t heed his advice, “Your Supreme Leader has taken me on as an apprentice, to train me in the ways of the Force,” She couldn’t help herself, turning her head just enough to peer at them over her shoulder. They didn’t answer her, but she swore their postures stiffened, “...you should be nicer to me,” She reiterated, facing forward again to hide the mirth that was now in her expression.  The idea that she’d frightened them, even a little, made her feel better.

Aria’s _joie de vivre_ melted into solemnity as soon as the elevator doors opened. General Hux stood before them, his hands folded behind him and his signature sneer holding a hint of irritation. His eyes narrowed at the sight of her, vexed creases forming around his brows. “At ease,” He commanded through clenched teeth; the Stormtroopers must have saluted him.

Hux stepped aside as they exited the elevator, raising his hand in a command for them to halt their path. Aria stood before him, the two Troopers still at her back, staring up into his frosty gaze. Though her memory of the event was fuzzy she had not forgotten her last encounter with him. “General Hux,” Aria started before he could, “I would salute you, but my hands are tied,” She hardly hid her patronizing tone.

“Insubordinate as ever,” Hux scoffed, “You will only serve as a distraction to the Supreme Leader. Keeping you around is a mistake.” There was fury beneath his words.

“Perhaps if you’d asked me nicely instead of resorting to torture I would have told you what you wanted to know,” She stoked the flames of his anger, reminding him of his failure, “Be careful what you say, General. We wouldn’t want the Supreme Leader to find out you disagree with him.”

Incensed, a tinge of red colored his pale face, “I’ve already voiced my concerns to the Supreme Leader. Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you could ever intimidate me,” He spat, his chest puffed out and his posture stiff.

Aria’s goal wasn’t to threaten him, only to get under his skin. “Oh, I see,” She smirked at him, “Afraid you won’t be the favorite anymore? That Kylo Ren will replace you as his little pet--”

She’d gone too far. He reacquainted the back of his hand with her cheek, reopening the cut on the corner of her mouth with the force of his slap. “You don’t learn, do you?” Hux’s voice was low and dangerous, “Watch that tongue of yours, Resistance scum. You are still a prisoner to the First Order.”

Skin prickling in pain, she turned her gaze back to him, glaring at him from underneath her brows. All traces of mirth had vanished from her, replaced with cold resentment, “...you should be nicer to me,” She answered in reply, her voice a murmur, “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you could ever intimidate me,” She threw his words back in his face, “The Supreme Leader isn’t a patient man. It would be rude to keep him waiting.”

If looks could kill then General Hux’s vehement stare would have skewered her. His hands were clenched into fists at his side, and his jaw was tight with tension. “Go, then,” He seethed, “I won’t forget this.” It was a thinly veiled threat, and there was a wicked gleam in the whites of his eyes, “Dismissed,” He turned on his heel and stormed away, his coat billowing dramatically behind him.

One of the Stormtroopers nudged her with his blaster and they, too, were on their way again. As they walked Aria stewed in her ire. She was angry about Hux, yes, but also about her delicate situation. Prisoner; would she be treated as such for the duration of her time on the _Finalizer_? It didn’t matter, she reminded herself. She just had to stay alive long enough to figure out how to escape.

They were drawing nearer to Ren based on the lack of personnel in this hallway of the ship, and so she concealed her thoughts of escape. If Kylo Ren sensed her true intentions she wasn’t sure what he would do; not anything good, that was certain. The Stormtroopers brought her before a large black door, punching in a code before it swooshed open to reveal an expansive room. The floors and walls were the same dark shade as the door, and a glossy, obsidian, marble pathway led to the middle of the room where Kylo Ren stood with his back turned to them.

Aria almost rolled her eyes at his melodramatic display. Had he been standing there like that this whole time? Just waiting? The Troopers led her down the pathway, the ceiling expanding upwards the closer they drew to the Supreme Leader. The room was much bigger than she had anticipated at first glance, but perhaps it seemed that way because it was devoid of any furniture or decorations.

They halted ten feet away from Kylo. “Supreme Leader,” The Stormtrooper to the right of her spoke up, “The prisoner, as you commanded.”

“My apprentice,” He corrected, his back still turned.

“Er…” The Stormtrooper coughed, then said, “Yes your, uh, apprentice, Supreme Leader.”

Silence ensued before Kylo Ren slowly turned to face them, his expression schooled into an unreadable mask. His dark eyes landed directly on Aria, not sparing any attention for the Stormtroopers standing at her side. His gaze was as intense as ever, practically smoldering as he stared her down. Aria’s heart skipped a beat.

“My apprentice,” He repeated again, almost reverently, “It is time to begin your training.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't quit on you! I've been super busy with graduate school so this chapter was much more delayed than I wanted it to be...and much shorter than intended (probably could have written another 2k to 3k words...) but I felt so guilty that I haven't updated in three weeks so here it is. 
> 
> This chapter was written listening to....a lot of things, honestly, like 'Fade' by Kanye West and 'Haunting' by Halsey, but the chapter title was inspired by Lady Gaga's song of the same name. I've been building a writing playlist that I've titled 'Supreme Leader Ren'. Maybe when I have more variety on it I'll post a link to it!
> 
> I hope to get the next chapter out in the next 2-3 weeks....or sooner, honestly, because I've got lots of ideas that I can't wait to write and share with you! 
> 
> Anyway, thanks for the read and hope you enjoyed the chapter! Come and hang out with me on my tumblr, daddykylosgoodgirl.tumblr.com
> 
> -Sessh


	4. Balance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ‘The darkness...I know you see it. Don’t be afraid.'

_‘My apprentice, it is time to begin your training.’_

The words echoed in the large room as they were met with silence on Aria’s end. What was she supposed to say? It wasn’t as if she was here because she wanted to be, as was evidenced by the cuffs on her wrists. She had no idea what to expect, her heart pounding against her ribcage and thousands of nonexistent butterflies fluttering in her stomach.

Kylo’s burning gaze finally flicked to the Stormtroopers on either side of her, and he commanded, “Release her and leave us.”

“Yes, Supreme Leader.” The Troopers undid her cuffs, much to her wrists relief, and turned on their heels, their boots thumping loudly against the floor as they stomped back down the marble pathway.

Rubbing at her chafed wrists, Aria averted her eyes from Ren and stared down at her hands instead. She was silent, and so was he; it seemed the both of them were waiting for complete solitude before speaking. Once the door shut with a resounding thud, Aria raised her eyes to meet Kylo’s still heated stare. Another beat of silence, and Kylo opened his mouth to speak, but Aria beat him to the punch.

“I don’t know where the Resistance base is,” She admitted it plainly, watching him closely for his reaction. She had been wondering whether or not to tell him while on her stroll with the Stormtroopers; her run-in with Hux had made her angry enough to decide to reveal the truth to Kylo Ren out of spite. That, and she ultimately wanted him to know she was incapable of betraying her friends and the Resistance to see if he changed his tune about making her his little underling.

His expression remained the same, unreadable, as he answered, “I know.” He confessed it as simply as Aria had her own little secret. “I saw it in your mind, just before you managed to penetrate my thoughts,” He explained, dark eyes still holding her captive.

Aria was discomforted at this, hating that he had the ability to access her thoughts, feelings, and memories at will. It was so invasive...and to think that she had the potential to learn such a power made her skin crawl.  “Then you really mean to train me as your apprentice? This wasn’t some ruse to try and extract more information from me?”

“The location of the Resistance base is of no concern to me anymore,” Kylo stated curtly, “You shall be my apprentice, and learn the ways of the Force. When you are ready we will seek out the Resistance again,” He confirmed, and then added smugly, “I will learn much of what I want through our training sessions, anyway.” He stood tall, his hands folded in front of him. He was without his cloak, but not without his lightsaber, she noticed.

Aria was incensed at his arrogance, “I kept you out once before,” She pointed out, but he quickly answered,

“A fluke,” Kylo was frowning now, “Either way, you misunderstand me, Apprentice Aria,” He spoke her name for the first time, and she swore a chill ran up her spine. There was no doubt that he had divined her true name from her mind; she had come aboard the First Order ship under an alias. “We will be joining our minds often; whether you intend to reveal them or not, I will see the contents of your memories.”

Aria didn’t like that at all, “Does it work both ways? Seems a bit unfair.”

Kylo smirked, and turned his gaze to the floor, as if to hide his mirth; was he laughing at her? His dark stare returned to her face, the smirk fading as he answered, “What do you know about the Force?” He changed the subject on purpose, and he turned on his foot to begin pacing slowly.

Aria scowled, her body tensing as he began to move about the room. “I know what others have told me,” She paused, watching him closely as she added, “What Rey has told me.”

His brow twitched at the mention of the scavenger, but that was the extent of his visible interest. His voice remained even as he pressed, “Oh? And what is that?” He turned to pace the other way, his eyes trained on the floor.

“...others told me it was a power that the Jedi used to manipulate people and things with their mind. Rey told me it was the balance between all things.”

Kylo paused at this, flicking his gaze up to her, “What do you think it is?”

Aria had been wondering this herself, but went with the safe bet, “The balance between all things. Rey would know better than non-Force sensitive gossip mongers,” She reasoned, crossing her arms over her chest.

Nodding, Kylo continued pacing with his head down again, “Her training with my uncle wasn’t for naught,” He practically hissed as he mentioned his family relations. He gained his composure quickly and added, “It is an energy field that surrounds us, and our sensitivity to it allows us to manipulate it.”

Aria only frowned, wondering where he was going with this. “You still haven’t answered my question,” She reminded him.

“So impatient,” Kylo’s severe gaze flicked to hers, a trace of annoyed amusement in his tone, “You will only see my thoughts if you are strong enough. I won’t let you through as easily as last time.” He planted himself in front of her again, his hands folded in front of him as he stared down his nose at her. “You will only grow stronger with the Force through our training. How fast you progress will determine the fairness of the situation,” He explained.

Aria scoffed and rolled her eyes, ‘ _Real fair.’_ What made him think she’d willingly submit to this? Well, he had told her he would kill her if she didn’t go along with it. She didn’t want him in her head, learning who she was and all of her secrets.

Now it was her turn to change the subject, “General Hux doesn’t believe keeping me around is a good idea,” She mentioned, “He thinks that I’m a distrac–”

“He has already made his objections known,” Kylo cut in tersely, “The General has no choice but to obey my orders. He, too, is impatient.” His eyes trailed to the corner of her lip, where the cut had reopened from Hux’s slap, “You goaded him,” It was a statement, not a question.

“I might have,” She admitted with no remorse, holding her head up high.

Kylo’s gaze lingered on her lip for a moment more before he continued, “The General is still bitter about his failure in the interrogation room and holds contempt for you. It will fade in time. Besides, though you are my apprentice you are not a rank above the General. He is your superior.”

That rankled Aria, “So General Hux was right then, I will continue to be treated like a prisoner?”

“Of course,” Kylo answered immediately, “Until you can prove you’re trustworthy.”

“Oh, and just how am I supposed to do that? The First Order doesn’t have a great track record with trust and Resistance spies,” Aria’s tongue was getting away from her, as usual, sharp as a tack.

Kylo was silent, sizing her up before his gaze locked with hers. There was a familiarity in that intense stare and then–

She felt it, the tendrils of his mind reaching out to hers and latching on. It wasn’t as forceful as it had been in the interrogation room, but it was still invasive nonetheless. A surge of energy started building up in her body, and she recognized it as her untamed power in the Force. Now that she knew what it was it seemed strange to try and use it, to control it; the day before it had just been a knee-jerk reaction from her body. He was rooting around her in mind, and she was too late to stop him from seeing what he wanted. He severed their connection before she could try and force him out herself.

“Once your thoughts turn away from escape, I’ll be able to trust you to roam the halls on your own,” Kylo stated simply, then sneered at her wide-eyed appearance, “Don’t be so surprised. I didn’t need to read your mind to know that’s what you desire,” His annoyance with her grew, his frown stern and harsh. His shoulders were tense, and his jaw clenched.

Aria shut her gaping jaw, still dizzy from his intrusion into her thoughts. “...can you blame me?” She managed to breathe out, her hands clenched into fists at her side.

This softened his stony expression, but not by much. Now he just looked like his normal somber self instead of ticked off. “It doesn’t matter. You will change your mind either way,” He seemed so sure and it pissed her off.

She let her rage simmer beneath the surface instead of letting her notorious tongue fly loose. That she would be swayed to his way of thinking was just absurd, but she knew she had no choice when it came to accepting her apprenticeship. “...you did say you would kill me if I didn’t join you. Not much of a choice,” She answered bitterly.

“You’ll thank me later,” He had an infuriating smirk on his expression, “It’s for your own good.”

She glowered at him, quipping, “Yes, oh wise Supreme Leader,” Her voice was dripping with sarcasm.

“You shall call me by my proper title,” Kylo demanded seriously, his stare more intense than before, “You will call me Master Ren.”

At this Aria couldn’t help but blink a few times before holding back laughter, “I don’t think so.”

There was a twitch in his brow at her refusal. His little apprentice was already proving to be a nuisance. He could torture her into saying it, but that, he had a feeling, would take too much time; she was a stubborn girl. “...so be it,” He spit in agreement; if she would not call him Master now then she would later. There wouldn’t be a need to force it; call it a gut feeling.

“Besides, Kylo Ren isn’t even your real name. I know what it is,” Aria pressed on daringly.

Kylo’s posture stiffened, his face holding a menacing expression. His eyes threatened punishment if she continued with her line of thought.

“Ben Solo.”

“Do not. Call me that,” His look was murderous, and the air grew thick and heavy. She could feel the darkness radiating off of him, strands of the Force making her body feel stiff. It was hard to breathe and fear lanced through her chest.

“Yes, Supreme Leader,” Aria agreed quickly, though was still too stubborn to call him ‘Master Ren.’

Kylo observed her silently, as if judging her sincerity. She seemed to pass his inspection, because the angry dark power he had been displaying subsided slowly but surely. “I called you here to train. Enough of the idle chatter. Sit.” He commanded her, his tone brooking no argument.

Swallowing, Aria did as she was told, crossing her legs as she sat.

“Good. Close your eyes,” He paused as she obeyed his instructions, “Reach out with your feelings,” He stared down at her. “Feel the Force.”

 

*******************************************

 

By the end of their training session she was exhausted. She had finally felt it, and even _seen_ it; the Force, the energy that bound everything together in the universe. Kylo had guided her through what she saw, his voice a murmur behind her. Her mind’s eye had jumped across the galaxy, feeling the wind against her cheeks as she soared across a vast lake, and then suddenly the vision changed and she was swimming through the darkest and coldest of oceans, staring down into the blackness of an underwater canyon. Aria understood now what Rey had meant by a balance. She felt it, felt the difference; the light and the dark.

The light made her feel peaceful, warming her to her core. It was tangible and ethereal all at once, filling her mind with a sense of ease. Yet cast beneath it all was shadow, inky and daunting; the darkness. It was frightening to see and feel, only because underneath it all she could feel a raw pulsating power that threatened to slink out and drag her deep down into its murky depths. What disturbed her was the fact that the darkness held mystery for her. It was just as intriguing as the light...but the light didn’t hold Kylo’s force signature.

His force signature was a siren call into the pit of blackness. He was a part of the mystique of the dark side; his signature was overwhelmingly large, and it coaxed her to dip into the shadow. Yet the closer she drew to it the more she trembled, feeling the wild, violent turbulent emotions bubbling beneath the feeling of his Force signature. It was worthy of awe, the raw power that he projected.

_‘The darkness...I know you see it. Don’t be afraid,’_ Kylo’s voice echoed in her thoughts.  
That was the end of it though, as her mind suddenly sent up another wall to block him out, severing her connection from the Force. She hadn’t meant to, it was just another automatic response from her body; her mind couldn’t yet handle the intensity of his signature plus that of the Force.

Lids fluttering open, she stared up at him with wide eyes from where she sat on the floor with her legs crossed. He was still behind her, staring down his nose at her, though there was a soft turn at the corner of his lips. It was as gone as soon as she spotted it. “It’s quite alright. You will grow use to the mental workout of the Force,” He reassured her. Was he teasing her?

“Stand, we’re done for today,” Ren commanded her, hands folded behind his back.

Aria did as she was told, watching him cautiously and curiously as she stood. This certainly had been like no other experience she’d ever had; it had been surprisingly intimate, as embarrassing as that was to admit. She was replaying the whisperings of his voice in the back of her mind, guiding her through her exploration of the Force. This wasn’t what she had expected. She had expected him to intimidate her into submission with his power so he could control her. Instead he had been a surprisingly good and patient teacher. Just what was his angle?

Kylo’s eyes never left her, regarding her with an imperceptible expression. What he said next surprised her, “You may have potential yet.” She could hardly believe it, and had to wonder if he was complimenting her or insulting her. His lips were set in a cool, neutral line. He was so difficult to read.

Aria cleared her throat uncomfortably. “Er…”

There was another beat of silence as Kylo studied her.

“I have a task for you, my apprentice,” He pressed on, ignoring her tense expression.

“Just call me Aria,” She insisted. Being called ‘apprentice’ made her feel juvenile, and he wasn’t that much older than her.

Kylo ignored that comment, too, “You dislike being treated like a prisoner,” He stated more than asked, “If you want those Stormtroopers off your back sooner rather than later then you must complete my little assignment,” Judging by the smirk that took over his lips it wasn’t going to be as ‘little’ as he suggested.

Aria bit her lip. Okay, she had to admit, he had her interest. She didn’t want to walk around with those buzzkills anymore and she wanted more freedom from the First Order’s prying eyes. “Get to the point,” She grumbled.

“Jedi and Sith can influence the weak minded with just a few words and the power of the Force,” Kylo explained, “Convince the Trooper guards to uncuff you and let you walk to one of our training sessions alone. Once I see you walk through that door without their helmets over your shoulder I will allow you more free reign of the ship.”

“What?” Aria breathed in disbelief. This task clearly wasn’t meant to be easy. She was just learning what the Force felt like, she hardly knew how to manipulate it or use it to get into someone else’s mind.

“It will be good training for you. You will learn faster from experience,” Ren stared at her, amusement in the whites of his eyes, “I don’t expect you will succeed right away, though the faster you complete this task the higher the reward,” He pledged.

“But I don’t know how to influence–”

“You will learn through our training sessions and your own exploration of the Force. Don’t fret,” Kylo assured her, though she had a feeling he was mocking her.

Now it was her turn to survey him, scrutinizing him thoroughly with her gaze. There was no reason for him to lie to her, and for some reason, she knew he would hold true to his promise. “...Okay. I’ll work on it, then,” She agreed, crossing her arms over her chest.

“As a spy I thought that perhaps you’d be a bit more enthused to learn the powers of mind reading and manipulation. These skills play right into your job description,” Kylo quipped; okay, now he had to be mocking her.

“I never needed mind tricks before to be a good spy,” Aria retorted in defense, tired of his backhanded insults.

“Look at where you are now; _are_ you a good spy?” He raised a brow and some of the amusement bled out of eyes.

That jackass. Aria felt heat rush to her face. She hated him and his blunt insults. She loathed it even more when he was right; the Force had the potential to help her gain intel.

Before she could burst in with her own smartass retort Kylo pressed on with a wave of his hand, as if he were batting away the subject like an annoying fly. “We will continue with your Force training tomorrow, and the day after that we shall start on combat. You do know how to fight, don’t you?”

“I’m surprised you even have to ask; you haven’t divined that from my mind yet?” Aria couldn’t help bite back. She released a sigh before continuing, “I’m capable enough that I can handle a blaster. The Resistance has training programs, you know.”

Her attitude finally tipped the scales and Kylo’s brows furrowed in annoyance, “It’s a start,” He bit out shortly, “I’ve had enough of your smart mouth for the day. You would do well to learn when and how to wag your tongue,” That was most definitely a threat, “I will only tolerate so much insubordination.” His tone was cold and glacial.

Already she was much more in tune with the Force; she sensed he was telling her the truth and something in the back of her mind warned her to take him seriously. She swallowed a lump in her throat and nodded; message received. Aria was always pushing her boundaries.

“One more thing before you go,” Kylo continued, eyebrows still scrunched together in severity, “Tomorrow morning you will report to General Hux. He will give you daily assignments to complete. The Troopers will escort you to him first, then to me for your training,” His posture relaxed, sensing that he had subdued Aria’s sharp wit for now.

Her heart nearly dropped through her bottom. “General Hux?” It came out as a squeak, and she cleared her throat immediately afterward.

“You have to earn your keep on the ship,” He was mocking her again! She fumed when she spied a smugness set at the corners of his lips. She’d already been warned about her impudent tongue, and yet her mouth was opening of its own volition to argue with him; luckily for her, he cut her off, “I already told you that he is your superior. Though you may not like it, you will have to get over your quarrels with the General,” He glared at her severely, “If you continue to provoke him I have a feeling that Hux won’t be so merciful concerning your daily duties.”

Aria was livid, but what could she do? She relaxed her clenched jaw to ensure Kylo Ren of one fact, “The General doesn’t frighten me,” She insisted adamantly.

Ren’s frown intensified, and he snarled, “Cooperate with him. I tire of his sniveling and grousing. If you continue to pick fights with him I will never hear the end of it.” Something in his tone suggested that he didn’t like General Hux very much either; useful information, Aria noted.

She chewed at her lip again, wishing to say more but knowing it was wiser not to. “...yes, Supreme Leader,” She murmured in defeat, her hands now balled at her sides and her eyes cast down to the floor.

“That is enough for today,” When she lifted her eyes he had turned his back to her, “You are dismissed.”

Aria blinked once, twice, before taking the hint and turning back around to walk down the marble pathway to the door, where the ever faithful Troopers awaited her return. As soon as the doors opened they cuffed her and escorted her back to her quarters; she had no caustic words for them this time.

Her mind was swimming as they walked. There was much to process; her first training session with Ren, the Force and how it felt, the light and the darkness, Kylo’s whispers tickling at the back of her skull, her emotions about this whole bizarre situation; the list went on.

_‘One thing at a time,’_ She told herself.

What was the most pressing thing she had to deal with?

That was a no-brainer.

General Hux’s face hovered in her vision. Just imagining his self-satisfied expression sent coils of irritation up her spine.

How was she going to take orders from him?

Aria hardly remembered the walk back to her quarters, but soon she found herself shut in the darkness of her room. Turning the lights on dim, she kicked off her boots and crawled into bed. A nap would do her good; she was mentally taxed. As her eyes began to droop her thoughts drifted around in her head, half-formed.

_‘Cooperate with him,’_ Ren’s voice reverberated in her mind.

Sighing, Aria murmured a reminder to herself before falling asleep, “Play nice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The chapters are slowly but surely getting longer. Honestly I think this fic may be longer than 20 chapters but we'll see? There's just so much I want to do within this story and ahhhh the list just keeps adding up! 
> 
> Smut will come soon. Be patient my lovelies. The slow burn is always the best burn <3 
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm open to constructive criticism so please feel free to leave a comment! Come chill with me at my tumblr if you dare; daddykylosgoodgirl.tumblr.com
> 
> Next chapter to come in the next two-three weeks. 
> 
> -Sessh


	5. Update [will be deleted shortly]

Hey guys,

Just wanted those of you who follow my story to know that I haven't given up. School (I'm a grad student) has gotten crazy hectic and I've had to spend my time writing academic papers and not my fanfic. No worries. I still plan to continue it. Thanks for bearing with me.

-Sessh


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